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What are some of your travel essentials? There are several I always take on a trip.

My shawl is one of the first things I pack in my carry on or my purse. It’s made of a thin wool, polyester blend so it rolls up nicely and fits in a small space. I have used it to keep warm on a plane, to dress up a simple outfit for dinner, as a skirt to enter a church in Italy, as  pillow, as a backrest, and to wrap my camera in. Plus, I’m sure I’ve used it for more than that…

I’ll let you in on a few other secrets next time…

When packing food for a road trip, use small frozen gel packs in your coolers. These can fit between layers of food, keeping both sides cold. Keep in mind they won’t last for long periods of time, though. For short trips, trips to the beach, etc. they work great. Check out ones that are made for diaper bags. They tend to be more streamlined and don’t take up as much room.

Some foods that travel well include: veggies like carrots or celery, cheese cubes, apples, bananas, nuts, cookies, granola, and dried fruit. I’m sure you have your favorites. Travel healthy!

It’s always a good idea to read about the culture of a country or city before you visit. Check out everything from what to wear suggestions to whether tipping is expected or included in your bill.

Learn about the language, history, and common courtesies. It will make your trip more enjoyable and you will bring home great memories.

The State Department issues travel warnings about countries when there are long term issues or periods of unrest that make a country dangerous or unstable. If you have any questions or thoughts about the country you want to visit, check out travel.state.gov for the current listings.

The site also has great information on living abroad, traveling abroad, emergency situations, and so much more.

Do you make a list of phone numbers associated with the credit cards you take on vacation? It would be a good idea. If they are lost, misplaced, or stolen…you can call the credit card company.

Do you make a copy of your passport? Again, it would be a good idea to have that with you.

Just one thing…don’t keep the lists in your wallet or in the same place your credit cards are! Keep them in a safe place.

Do you have the phone numbers for your airline, your rental car company, and your hotel? Are they stored in your phone and easily accessible? You may need them if your travel plans change or you get delayed.

Storing them in your phone is great…unless you don’t plan on using your phone in Europe or where ever you are. You might want to think about keeping those numbers in more than one handy spot.

I may have I mentioned this before…

Plan which credit cards you will take with you on your trip. Then, call those companies to let them know you will be using their cards where ever your destination is.

You can go one step further and ask them to put a dollar limit on the card. This works by the transaction and they will notify you immediately if a transaction on that card is in the process of exceeding that limit.

If you are taking your debit card, call your bank to notify them as well. If you use ATMs, pay attention to where they are located and who is around. It’s common sense…but sometimes we get in a hurry.

Buckets of flowers at the Alemany Market

Foggy day in the city looking at Alcatraz

More fog crossing the Golden Gate

Hard to believe this temp in the city…especially when we came home to 108!

Late lunch was awesome at Bin 38

Do you need any special immunizations for the country where you will be traveling? Not sure? It’s a good idea to check out http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel for latest on what shots or immunizations are needed by country.

Have you ever heard of this tip? Since the outside material of your hiking socks can be softer and smoother than the inside…wear them inside out. Supposedly, this prevents blisters.

Has anyone done this and does it work?

If you are a mom traveling with kids, you probably have an oversized travel purse with a gazillion compartments.

If you are traveling without kids, you may still have a travel purse with a gazillion compartments.

How do you keep track of what you put in each compartment? How do you know where your passport and your boarding pass are? Need some aspirin or some lip gloss? Which zippered slot is it in?

Any idea where you put your snacks? You could search for days and still not find what you were looking for…right?

For starters, always keep your passport in the same spot. Same goes for your boarding pass. If it’s always in a certain spot, it will be easy to grab when you need it. Think about a bright pink folder or wallet that holds both. You’ll spot it easily, you can grab it easily, and it won’t get lost in the bottom of your bag.

Put things like lip gloss, hand wipes,and  tissues in one spot. Use another compartment for snacks and aspirin.

Organize it so it makes sense to you. Then, do it the same way each time. Get a system and stick to it. It makes your carry on bag so much more efficient.